About 1.3 million adults in Kenya are living with HIV/Aids, an estimated 4.9 per cent of those aged between 15 to 64 years old, according to a new survey.
The HIV prevalence was found to be highest among women, at 6.6 per cent, compared to men at 3.1 per cent.
The findings of the Kenya Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (Kenphia) 2018 were released on Thursday in Nairobi by the Health ministry.
The worst-hit counties with over six per cent prevalence are in western and northern Kenya. They are Homa Bay (19.6 per cent), Kisumu (17.5 per cent), Siaya (15.3 per cent), Migori (13 per cent), Busia (9.9 per cent), Turkana (6.8 per cent) and Kisii with a prevalence rate of 6.1 per cent.
The report says the number of people living with HIV has plateaued, meaning that those with the virus are living longer, while new infections per year have reduced since 2012.
The survey, conducted between June 2018 and February 2019 and involving 17,000 households, found that there are about 139,000 children living with HIV in Kenya.
“Kenphia 2018 is timely as it will define the next phase of Kenya’s HIV Response. We are committed, as a government, to continue the path towards HIV epidemic control as a means of achieving universal health coverage,” said Health Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki.
The report was done by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and ICAP at Columbia University (ICAP) with support from the Ministry of Health and financial backing of several stakeholders, including US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar), and the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund).
“CDC looks forward to working with Kenya and partners to further the gains made towards achieving HIV epidemic control and addressing the gaps that remain.”
Part of the global HIV goals includes the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/Aids (UNAids) ’90-90-90′ targets which aim to ensure 90 per cent of people living with HIV know their status, 90 per cent of those diagnosed are on treatment, and 90 per cent on treatment achieve viral load suppression.
In Kenya, 80 per cent of adults living with HIV are aware of their diagnosis, 96 per cent of those are on ART, and 91 per cent of those on treatment have achieved viral load suppression. This means the country has met the second and third ’90-90-90′ goals. – Business Daily